Bay Area Risk Map: The North Bay is here!

This is a reader-input project, where we make a Bay Area version of the board game Risk, which we will play ourselves and then loan to Chronicle readers. A full explanation is here. Twitter hashtag #BayAreaRiskMap.

When we last spoke a million years ago, we had made key decisions. We agreed that our map would be inspired by the Risk map, but we would allow different territory configurations and travel patterns. We agreed that the infantry, cavalry and cannons would be replaced by bicycles, Priuses and Hummers. And the first two continents would be the Peninsula and North Bay.

Here’s my previously posted rough draft sketch of the Peninsula “continent” — the equivalent of South American on a Risk board:

Chronicle file

I’m ready to unveil a rough draft mock-up of our second continent: The North Bay. It has the same number of territories as North America in a Risk game. It will likely link to the currently unfinished Napa/Solano continent, which takes the place of Europe in Risk.

Before we unveil the North Bay, let me address two issues:

1. It was hard to pass up a territory for Petaluma, but Novato fit in better geographically. Apologies to Winona Ryder and whatever band is playing McNear’s Mystic Theatre tonight. (Most likely Y&T.) I almost added a 10th territory for Russian River/Guerneville, but placed a mountain range there instead.

2. Including obscure Cloverdale was my solution to the tricky Alaska/Kamchatka land bridge problem. The world may be round, but unfortunately the Bay Area isn’t. So barring a better idea, we’ll use the Cloverdale Municipal Airport as a troop launch point and allow attacks between Cloverdale and Vacaville; the latter will ferry its armies through the Nut Tree Airport.

Here’s my rough sketch of the North Bay:

Chronicle file

More current Bay Area Risk Map problems/dilemmas up for reader discussion:

* I’m leaning toward Napa/Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda County and Livermore/Tracy as the four remaining continents. My other option would be Solano/Contra Costa, Upper East Bay, Lower East Bay and Livermore/Tracy/Dublin. I think we’ll tackle Alameda County/Lower East Bay as the next continent. This will be the stand-in for Africa.

* Oakland and Berkeley are locks to be included. I’m leaning toward including the City of Alameda, and will likely place either Fremont or Milpitas at the southernmost tip of the East Bay. Richmond could end up here are well, depending on how we distribute the remaining continents. Either way, I have room for one or two more territories. Hayward? Castro Valley? Emeryville? Your input is appreciated.

* Honestly, this project is too much power/responsibility for one person to shoulder. So I’ve recruited three more Chronicle visionaries — reporter Ellen Huet and page designers Shannon May and Erick Wong — to help shepherd the Bay Area Risk Map to polished completion. (Shannon and Ellen were partners in the Night of the Living Deadline costume project. This is a free time project for the Chronicle staffers involved. I can assure you that working on the Bay Area Risk Map will not detract from any real journalism.)

* Once again, this project is in no way affiliated with the makers of the board game Risk. The plan is to make one or two boards, which will never be for sale. We’ll let Chronicle readers check out the board and play it in return for writing about/reviewing the experience.

Please make suggestions in the comments or give me feedback on Twitter. Follow me @PeterHartlaub. The hashtag for this project is #BayAreaRiskMap.

PETER HARTLAUB is the pop culture critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and founder/editor of The Big Event. He takes requests. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/peterhartlaub. Follow The Big Event on Facebook.